The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1887-10-06

" the right to demand one in return. =
81 haven't q flower in my room,
he said, in q low voice; "may | crave
one of your roses for my table?"
zone would be o. little use-you are
welcome to the whole bunch, they will
fill a small vase" she answered readi-
ly, and unpinning them she placed
them IN his hand with natural, un.
concerned bow, as she turned in the
direction OF her golden-thatched cot.
tage with her dog in her arms.
"Grateful, and generous, and affec-
tomato" he decided. and pressed the
roses to his lips. That night he wrote
again to his friend:
Dear Falkner-I have met my
fate. It is no use your coming Tor me;
l shall get my leave extended. She is
enchanting It is serious this time,
old fellow, so don't laugh.
"YOurs ever, b b."
He haunted that lane. Sometimes
he spoke to her over the fence; she
was very gracious to him, but she did
not ask him in.
Once she was walking in the garden
with an elderly man.
"Her father" he told himself.
"What a nice-looking old fellow;
must get hold of him, and then it will
be all right"
He telegraphed to Covent Garden
for a boquet of rare exotics to be sent
down to him by parcels post. They
came, and he went and left them at
house himself. with his card attached,
and underneath he wrote: "ln CRATE.
full return for the roses" and closed
box once more.
"A neat maid received it from his
hands, and by her "Merci monsieur"
he discovered she was q Frenchwom'
an.
He asked no questions and left nc
message, not wishing to expose his ig
norance of even his lady's name.
He walked on, but he was restless.
and returned once more and sat upon
the wall to watch. Surely, his divini'
ty would come out soon. She did
with the garden hose in her hand and
set to work diligently to water. Sud
denly she turned it in the captain
direction, and soused HIM through
and through. Then. with a silvery
laugh, quickly checked, she made hel
apologies.
"Dear me. Capt Berkeley" she said
with much apparent concern, "Tn
afraid / have sprinkled you little.
"Sprinkled him! He was wei
through; but he vowed it was moth
ing" and that he "liked it," and she
thanked him so sweetly for the bou
quet that he was quite happy, only
his happiness was short lived, for she
had a pressing engagement and has
tened indoors at once. He saunterec
to the inn and changed his clothes
then started for a walk. thinking OF her
A dog-cart was dashlng along thu
road, and suddenly a CHEEKY voice
reused him.
"Hallo, Berkeley! Where on eartf
have you sprung from? Who could
ever have expected you to turn up il
this quiet corner?" and the speaker
handed the reins to his cockadec
groom, and jumped down to greet HI:
friend and old brother officer, shaking
him warmly by the hand.
Il may we'll return the co mpliment
La Coste." laughed Bertram Berkeley
~ have never once seen you since yor
left us at 'G,b,' two years ago; fancy
me meeting you in this quiet place
when no quarters used to be gay
enough for you"
"Ah! have sown all my wild oats
old fellow, and married and settled
down into the bargain; and what
more, don't regret it,"
'Tant mieux pour vous! l feal
there are not many such prizes in thu
matrimonial market"
ACan't say. l never had a baG
opinion of the sex, as you are aware
and my wife has raised my estimate
of womankind.
"Lucky mani"
81 echo your sentiment. I suppose
you're still adamant! No one ha:
made an impression, eh?'
Capt. Berkeley positively flushed un
der the bronze, and thoughtfully pull
ed his moustache.
"By Jove! Yor're in for it," laugh
ed Major La Coste. swell, come an(
dine with us tonight, and l will intro
duce you to my wife, and can tell al
about it over our cigars after dinner >
"What, you are living here, then?
eyes. We have a pretty little box
Where are you staying? I'll stroll
down and take you back in triumph
it will be quite treat to hear all TIL
news of the old regiment"
"I'll come with pleasure; I'm put
ting up at the little inn. What tim
do you diner"
"Seven, and I'll fetch you at quar-
ter to-" and with a friendly nod, thu
major jumped up once more into hi
dog-cart.
"Can I take you anywhere, Berke
ley~
mo, thanks, Pllcontinue my walk,
and so the friends parted.
Major La Coste arrived with mill
tarv punctuality. and there was I
strange smile upon his handsome. fac
and lurking in the depths OF his fin
gray eyes.
"Are you ready2" he asked. "W
must not keep dinner waiting-you
cook is the last person in the worl'
whom you should offend"
They chatted briskly as they walke'
up the lane.
"Here we are" said La Coste, throw
ing open his gate; "pretty little place
is it not? But perhaps you ma.
have seen it before, in your rambles.
"You don't live here!" stammere'
his visitor; II thought didn' tthinl
-
"Of course you didn't, old fellow
come IN and see my wife,"
Without one word, Bertram Berke
ley followed HIM.
Mechanically he hung up his hat il
the hall, mechanically he went wit
him into the room, of which he fun
open the door, with q strange feelin
as of a sleep-walker about him. /
seemed to him he was having som
unpleasant dream, and that he wa
spell-bound by it; that he could see
and hear, and feel, but that all powe
over himself was denied him.
Geraldine. here is my friend, Capt
Berkeley-Berkeley, allow me to in